McCain, GOP Leaders Intro Cybersecurity Bill Alternative

By Kenneth Corbin – The so-called SECURE IT Act — backed by eight ranking members on various Senate committees and subcommittees that claim jurisdiction over some aspect of cybersecurity — would focus narrowly on provisions to facilitate the sharing of information about cyber threats, while avoiding the expanded regulatory oversight and compliance mandates provided for in the competing bill.

Bill Differ on How to Share Information Both bills address the information sharing question, albeit with sharply contrasting approaches. Rather than create new federally administered cybersecurity exchanges for public and private entities to share information, as the Lieberman-Collins bill would, the GOP alternative bill would rely on existing centers such as the six facilities the National Security Agency maintains throughout the country, as well as U.S. Cyber Command, which is administered by the Defense Department and collocated with the NSA.